


everybody's out on the run tonight but there's no place left to hide

by thebrilliantcomet



Series: it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive [1]
Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Adam Parrish Didn't Attend Aglionby, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:00:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24889525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebrilliantcomet/pseuds/thebrilliantcomet
Summary: A tarnished dream, a stormy night, and broken bike lead Adam Parrish to a chance encounter.
Series: it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1801009
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	everybody's out on the run tonight but there's no place left to hide

He didn’t have enough.

After meticulously counting every dollar, every quarter, every penny in his stash, Adam Parrish defeatedly slouched on the edge of his bed, resigned. Every menial job he’d spent hours on now didn’t mean jack. He got up, placed his (not his father’s, his) money back into the old cereal box which he then carefully placed under his bed. On his desk sat the crumpled letter from the dean of the nearby private school, Aglionby. He walked toward his desk and reread the letter for what felt like the hundredth time. 

The words mocked him. The fake sympathy in the  _ “we apologize, but you were not selected to receive financial aid in the upcoming fall term _ ” laughed at the messy pile of checks laying on his desk. Was Adam supposed to feel accomplished reading the  _ “the pool was significantly competitive, and we were impressed by your academic achievements” _ ? Thunder rumbled. Adam took the letter along with a couple of matches and tip-toed outside. Before the rain came, he needed to burn whatever chances he had of getting out of Henrietta. As the flames flickered, he repeated the same mantra that’s been in his head since freshman year. 

_ I must work harder. _

\---

“These teachers should consider that many of their students don’t have access to the internet and can’t do their schoolwork at home. And the amount of work they hand out!”, Miss Nancy commented bitterly as Adam finished writing down the last of his American history outline. 

He looked up from his screen. Miss Nancy, wearing her ever-present smile, stood behind the computer with a cup of coffee in hand. The good thing about spending as much time in the library as he did was that she let him stay an extra thirty minutes after the library closed.

“Ma’am, you know I can’t take that,” said Adam, looking at the coffee. He didn’t respond to her comment about the internet. He was perfectly happy staying here, instead of at home. 

“Adam, honey, I insist. You look like you haven’t slept in-” Miss Nancy began before being interrupted by a sudden clatter. 

“Lord give me strength”, she muttered under her breath, placing her slightly wrinkled hands on her hips, “You’d think with all that money going into that private school, those boys would know how to act. Now I know that group, the one in the middle is very polite and interested in English mythology, I believe? Or was it Welsh? Anyway-”

Another noise came from the group. Both Adam and Miss Nancy turned around and saw three boys surrounded by a pile of books on the floor, with the two on the outside guffawing over the mess they were making. 

“Looks like you got a problem there, Miss Nancy,” Adam chuckled. He shut off the computer and started packing his bag. 

“Honey, it’s them who is gonna have a problem,” Miss Nancy sighed with a hint of classic southern malice. She turned back at Adam, noticing his space all cleaned up. “Stay safe out there, okay? I heard it might rain”.

“Yes ma’am,” he replied, walking towards the exit. He looked one more time at the group of boys. He didn’t know why, but an air of familiarity hung about them. Shaking off the feeling, Adam walked outside. The sticky Virginia heat engulfed him immediately. He unchained his bike and started making his way home. 

\--

Despite hating Henrietta, Virginia was a beautiful state. The rolling fields of wheat, the forests which boarded his small town, the somewhat rustic charm the state had. The summer evening made his surroundings look blue. Adam looked ahead of him. The foothills of the Appalachians seemed to begin where Henrietta ended. It took every ounce of his impulse control not to simply ride off and not look back. His hair from the light rain was damp.

_ One day _ , he reminded himself, and he peddled downhill.  _ You’ll be able to be someone other than, someone bigger than Adam Parrish. _

A split second can make a huge difference when riding a bike. 

“Fuck!” 

The bike crashed with a resounding thud as Adam flew out of his seat. 

It was only a matter of time before Adam’s bike broke down. Whether it was from constant use (home to the car shop, car shop to the warehouse, warehouse to the library) or old age, the bike had run out its course. Of course, it didn’t break until after he left the library. After lying on the ground for a while, Adam got up steadily. His left leg felt like it was bleeding, while his head hurt slightly. His hands, covered with dirt, seemed to also be bleeding. 

“Jesus,” he muttered, quickly brushing his hands over his coveralls. Looking at the remnants of his bike, Adam felt like screaming. The front-wheel along with the handles lay three feet ahead of him, and the seat was nowhere to be seen. Adam knelt in front of his notebooks, careful not to further injure his left leg. He placed his schoolwork into his partially-torn backpack one by one, flipping through pages as if the words spilled into the road. Not that he could put them back in the book anyway. He closed his eyes and felt a fit of gnawing anger in his head. 

“No,” he whispered, as the rain fell at a faster pace. Not again.

_ Look at you, boy. Another mess for me and your mother to clean up. You know how many messes I had to clean before you came along? None. None! When I get my hands on you, you’re going to regret ever being born, you- _

Thunder rolled in the distance. Adam bit his knuckle, keeping his inner fury at bay. Fury at himself, fury at home, fury at this goddamn bike. He could wallow in self-pity later.

_ Soon.  _

Adam opened his eyes. “Huh?”

_ Soon, Adam Parrish, you will let go all that rage, all that anger in you. I will awaken soon. _

“What the hell…” 

_ Soon.  _

Lighting flashed in the distance. He quickly stood up, grabbed his backpack, and ran as far as his injured legs could. An unconscious part of his mind, an instinct, forced him to stop running. Again, lightning struck. He could’ve sworn a tree caught on fire. 

“I have no time to lose my mind,” Adam thought, with his hands on his knees. Drenched as he was, he still walked and walked- 

BEEP

Adam stopped. He felt the heat of the headlights on his calves and the water streaming down his face. He moved toward the side of the road and turned towards the car. It’s orange paint stood out heavily in the pouring rain. The window rolled open. A muffled shout rang out from the car. Adam stared blankly. Why wasn’t the car moving forward?

“Do. You. Want. A. Ride,” the voice repeated, somewhat clearer. Normally, Adam and his pride would refuse, but he didn’t want to get completely drenched. He couldn’t and didn’t want to get sick, because he had work in the morning. Adam quickly limped over towards the car and got in. He dragged the seatbelt across his chest. For the first time, he noticed his shallow, tense, breathing. 

Adam closed his eyes and let himself relax.

He felt the other passengers stare at him. The car wasn’t moving, so he assumed they wanted to talk. Opening one eye slightly, he noticed that the person next to him was completely bald. And glaring at him.

“What kind of a dumbass runs in the rain,” a voice next to him spat out. 

Without thinking, Adam countered, “What kind of dumbass rides in an orange car?”

“Be nice, Ronan,” a softer voice came from the front. “Ronan” harrumphed and crossed their arms across their chest, still keeping their gaze on Adam. 

“Please excuse my rather surly companion. He comes across as rather...well...rude to others. Anyway, do you need a ride,” the other voice, a rather confident one, asked from the driver’s seat. Adam opened his second eye and took a good look at the front of the car. The driver looked familiar. 

He sat up and responded, finally recognizing them, “Weren’t y’all just at the library? Being somewhat loud and kind of...dickish?”

“Noah and Ronan were being loud and dickish. To answer your question, yes, but we’re going off on somewhat of an adventure tomorrow, so we left. Tell me, are you interested in-”

“Oh Jesus fuck, Gansey, you barely know this kid and you’re already talking to him about Glendower? Give him a break,” Ronan sniped. “Gansey” turned and glared at Ronan, then turned to look at Adam, expecting an answer.

“Um...thanks for asking but I have a busy day tomorrow….just drop me off a couple of miles ahead. I can walk from there,” Adam replied sheepishly. Gansey still looked at him, furrowing his brows as if Adam were an experiment. The boy in the passenger’s seat (Noah?) also looked at him.

“My bike broke. That’s why I was running,” Adam added quickly, wanting to get everyone’s eyes off of him. Gansey shrugged, then started the car again. Noah turned back to face front, and Ronan still glared at him. He sighed and looked out the window. The weather had completely changed from what it was a couple of minutes ago. It was still raining. Not as bad as it was a few minutes ago, but still raining. 

Gansey drove for a couple of minutes before stopping again. 

“You sure you don’t want a ride back home? I don’t mind,” Gansey asked, sounding somewhat hopeful.

“No."

Gansey's face fell. If Adam knew him better, he'd feel a bit sad.

"But, uh, thanks anyway," Adam mumbled, giving the boys a semblance of a smile. Before they could say something, he opened the car door and closed it quickly. Again, he felt as though he somehow knew those boys. Adam shook off the feeling and started walking down the familiar dusty path. He turned around. The orange car still stood in the same spot, not moving. Adam also didn't move, studying the car and its passengers. Again, the unwavering feeling of weirdness,  _ of familiarity _ , came upon him.

Adam broke his stare and walked forward, already forgetting the three boys in the orange car. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! This is my take on the "what if Adam didn't attend Aglionby" au! This also happens to be my first trc fic, so sorry if characterization is off! Please review and leave a kudos if you can!


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